A New Year Plan Not only is it a new year but you might be looking for a new career/job. It is very important to sell yourself to potential employees in a positive way so you can be the candidate of choice. Arming yourself with the right tools and required skills are critical in the job search process. We at “The Career Development Place” will provide you with all the necessary services from start to finish to land you the ideal job you are looking for to move your career to the next level. Our services include: • Resume Writing and Development

Social and Professional Networking

If you fall in the vast number of people who interact with friends and family online through platforms such as Facebook and Twitter then you are doing social networking. Extending this activity to engage people in your field of work is a very practical way to advance your career.

Most professionals now see social networking as the ideal medium for seeking employment and promoting themselves. It is now highly regarded as a fundamental element of the job search exercise in the 21st century. This form of job search is propelled by the forming of social and professional online associations. People meet and make connections with professionals who can help them achieve their career goals, and maintain those connections. Through this medium, individuals can connect to people within the same profession and expand by meeting other professionals of different fields and locations.

Recruiters, headhunters and human resource professionals are highly aware that a vast number of professionals of varying caliber visit social media sites on a regular basis. They take advantage of this by entering these common meeting grounds to scout out, garner information on and contact these prospective candidates. This is a process that can either make you or lose you. The use of social media sites for career development and job search offer several benefits:

1. Allows for useful introduction of candidates 2. Increase your learning3. Allows for the building of valuable relationships with movers and shakers4. Forming connections with people of the same profession5. Forming connections with people who interest you whether by location, job etc6. An increased possibility of forming groups, that will increase learning

The success of your networking campaign will be dependent on the groundwork you put into it before and throughout the process. Bear in mind that network building is a continuous process. You will gain more success if you make a networking plan and maintain a certain level of consistency and professionalism throughout. A network plan allows you to outline the framework upon which to build your network, and enables you to keep track of your accomplishments. Start by:

Setting goals for your networking campaign – What are your reasons for networking?

Identifying your networking needs and interest – Learn more about yourself, the jobs that interest you and your inner motivation/drive.

Gaining some knowledge about formal and informal networks – How will they advance your plans and ultimately help you achieve your goals?

Researching and acquainting yourself with various networking resources – These include those online as well as offline (LinkedIn, Facebook, College career centers, professional career counselors, and unemployment offices).

Once you have done your legwork, it makes it easier and much more effective to put your plans into action. You have to know what you are about and where you are going before you can engage others for assistance. Coming off as being professional, organized, motivated and knowledgeable will work in your favor, because people are attracted to that sort of character in the people they associate with. If you are serious about advancing you career, it is imperative that you network and not get left behind.

Now that you have received that call you were expecting, it’s time for the interview. Despite how cliché this may sound, you must be on time! To get to your interview location on time, be sure to map out the distance and time required for travel at that particular time of that particular day. If it takes an hour to get there, add another 30 minutes to factor the possibility of traffic and other unexpected obstacles. With that said, it is best to arrive at the venue at least 15 minutes before the time of the interview. This gives you time to not only locate the interview station but also to unwind and prepare mentally for the interview. Rushing and catching your breath right before your interview makes you on edge and makes the process more stressful than it would normally be. Late arrival indicates poor time management skills. It shows that you have not effectively planned and scheduled your time in order to be on time. For the recruiter, this could send messages that say as an employee you will be late for work and won’t be able to meet deadlines which would jeopardise the operations of the organisation. Being late also translates to lack of respect. Surely, if it is that the job was important you would make every effort to be there in time. Being late indicates that the job, and the organisation, is being treated with scant regard. Make the extra effort. Be on time for your interview!

The information on your resume must be credible! When you have completed your resume the first question to ask yourself is: Am I who my resume says I am? Here’s why: 1. Prospective employers usually check the information on your resume for verification, especially the information about job experience. If you do not have any work experience, do not make up something and put it on your resume. If your prospective employer finds out that you have no work history at the place your resume said you had and in a certain position for a certain amount of months/years, your application will not be considered. 2. You may be referred to another employer based on the information on your resume. If this other prospective employer contacts you to verify some information and you are blank that is a big X. It looks bad on you as well as the company and the individual that referred you. 3. Many prospective employers ask for a certified copy of all documents proving qualifications stated on your resume. All qualifications written on your resume must be verifiable. If you are still reading for a particular certificate, ensure that you state that it is pending. Whereas some persons may argue that a little white lie in everyday life will cause no harm, in the job sphere it can be a HUGE problem. You may get away with it now but later down the line it can stir up big trouble. Be on the safe side! Be sure to provide only credible information on your resume!

Today the job market has become extremely competitive. There are higher standards expected from employees nowadays because of the flood of applications they receive daily. In the unemployed cohort there are a number of very qualified persons seeking employment. How then can you secure a job for yourself? It is not very simple. One has to be determined and patient while trying to find a job.

When searching for a job, you ought to find those that are relevant to you and the skill set you hone. You must first consider what is expected of you in the job description and if you are capable of fulfilling the tasks. Other elements are also important as you search for that suitable job. Consider whether you want to be confined to a certain location or you want to broaden your horizons. If you decide you would like to work in another region, have an idea of how you would relocate and so on before you even apply for a job there. If you decide to remain at your current location and work elsewhere, you ought to consider the distance from the prospective workplace to where you live and make preparations to adjust if necessary, so as to be able to fulfill the obligations of the job. That is, if you need to get up extra early to get there on-time, prepare to put in the extra hours, and cost of traveling. Also, consider the salary being offered and if you are willing to accept that.

If you see a job position that you think will suit you well but when you go through the job description you see that you are in some regard inexperienced, be willing to learn and begin to familiarize yourself with some of those tasks. Never let anything deter you from applying for any job. When you see a job that you want that suits you, apply for it! The job post may ask for certain requirements and qualifications and you may be lacking in one or a few of such, still apply. Never consider who the other applicants are or what experience they may have. Focus on what you have and how that can be applied to that job position. You must see yourself in that position!

Most importantly, your resume must be up-to-date and must bear all the relevant information that the prospective employer will be looking for. Additionally, you must ensure that your cover letter supplements your resume; highlighting specific objectives and reasons for applying for the particular job.

Remember these are the first impressions your future employer receives from you, so make it count!

A resume to a job seeker is as a sales letter to a marketing team! It is a document intended to promote the skills and qualifications that the candidate has to offer to a prospective employer. Similarly, a sales letter is a promotional document sent to potential clients. This would usually promote a particular good or service. Like with the sales letter, the candidate sending the resume is depending on this communique to be that tool that sells them as a perfect candidate for a job position. You are expected to market yourself with your resume in proxy of your actual self!You may have heard this a lot from your teachers and professors; “learn to market yourself.” But never really understood how to. Now, let’s say you have a company and you are selling beauty products. First and foremost you will definitely need to have a target group. The target group is the cohort of persons characterized by similar interests, characteristics, age, sex, etc, to whom you hope to appeal to get your products sold. So, when you prepare sales letters you would want to make those products appealing to your target audience. The aim is to have them buying into your product upon receiving the sales letter. Understand that this is sent in proxy of an actual sales representative. You would be expected to tailor an appeasing sales letter to introduce the product, explain how it works and how it can be beneficial to the prospective customer. If the recipient is pleased he/she will proceed to find out more by contacting the relevant entity, and this may eventually result in a sale.It is this same element that is required for preparing your resume for a job position. When you send out your resume you hope to be contacted by the receiver; a potential employer. But, you must ensure that it says much about you to give the recruiter a chance to know who are you, what you can do and how can you be an asset. These are the things the recruiter would like to know as soon as he/she starts reviewing your resume. If your “sales letter” is unflattering and bland it will definitely be tossed aside. Additionally, if the “product” you have to offer is totally irrelevant to the company or the job post it will definitely be disregarded as well. As a job seeker, it is important to look for jobs that require the qualifications, skill set and abilities you hone. When you find those suitable to you, tailor your resume according to the requirements of the post, with relevant information on your experiences, skills and abilities that match the job description. Merely listing the school(s) you attended, jobs you had/have and your qualifications is not enough to pique the interest of your recruiter.So, as you go forward in developing your resume, think of it as your sales letter. You are a product and your resume is your sales letter. You only have that one shot to make a good first impression. Make it count!

No experience gained is useless! I am sure you have heard about volunteerism many times before. But, have you really thought about the benefits of volunteering? Sure, this is an act of offering service without the expectation of compensation. So, how can this benefit you as the volunteer?

Volunteerism is not limited to age or sex. If you think you have no skill or experience, that is not a problem. Many organizations accept persons who are not necessarily skilled or experienced in the functions of the organization to be volunteers. Moreover, if it is that you need a particular skill to volunteer with a particular organization they may offer the relevant training to you informally (and sometimes formally). If, however, you have particular skills and talents it is good to match those with organizations that utilize those skills.

So, for example, if you aspire to become a nurse in the future. You may consider volunteering once per week at a hospital, or a school, or a shelter as a volunteer. As an aspiring nurse, volunteering in the relevant field can put things into perspective for you. You will see the broader picture and will have the opportunity to experience "life as a nurse." You will have more foresight and insights as to how you will proceed into your career as a nurse. Volunteering within your desired career field is ideal to your career development. However, you may also volunteer based on your talents. So, for example, if you like to make graffiti art you may volunteer with a group, fundraising event, or an organization that requires that service for a worthy cause.

Essentially, volunteering should be an act that you want to do as an individual. If you see it as a burden, then it will be a burden. Bear in mind that volunteerism is an act of helping others without expectations of compensation. This is a healthy habit for any individual who seeks to develop him/herself because volunteerism builds your character as an individual. Through volunteerism one can gain much exposure. Not only will you gain life-long lessons but you will also expand your knowledge base. More often than not, you may find that what you gained from a certain experience while volunteering can be useful to you someday in the future. Experience gained through volunteering may also be transferrable to the professional workplace.

Volunteering allows for the opportunity to network with others in your desired field which is quite important to your career development path. You may develop relationships with others who are already qualified and experienced who can assist you along your career development path. You may also find that after volunteering with an organisation you get hired as a permanent member of staff. This is typical as the organisation would have had the chance to see how you function and how well you contribute to the team and key mandates while you were a volunteer. Additionally, you may be able to get special recommendations from the organisation for other endeavors.

But, nothing beats that self-fulfilling feeling you get when you have put your best foot forward and you see the results of your voluntary labor.

There are a number of institutions that welcome persons to offer of their time and skills voluntarily. This ranges from business organizations, to non-profitable and social outreach organizations, to hospitals, schools, churches, and the list goes on. A few minutes or hours out of your week can indeed make a difference.

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Career Mapping Turn your dreams into reality! You may need a journal specifically for the purpose of mapping and tracing your career development. This should be one exclusively for the documentation of such related information. 1. The first step to your career development is making a decision. You first need to choose the career you want and for how long. You may realize that you have a special talent or a certain set of skills. At this point, begin to brainstorm how these can be translated to money-making assets. Let us say for example that you were always an avid football fan; you might have played the game a little in school and follow the facts, updates, rules of the game, can assess team performance over leagues and seasons and so on. You may want to work in that field as a sport analyst or commentator, researcher, or even a professional player. As you can see, there are various dimensions of any career field. It is just for you to match your skills and talents to the suitable “job description”. 2. After you make the decision that this is the career path you will choose you need to plan that path. Find out what qualifications are needed and begin to decide how and when you will go about attaining them. If it means obtaining a certain level of education, work out which school would be most suitable for you, the most relevant program, how many months or years it would take and the cost. This step is important as it puts everything into perspective. Begin to make arrangements to cover those expected costs; get a loan, apply for scholarships, have a savings plan, seek sponsorship, etc. 3. Stay motivated. At this point, try not to see cost or time as an issue but as an investment. Stay focused on what your long-term goal is. Sometimes we have a greater dream but we need stepping stones to get there, this is your stepping stone moment. Make the best of it. Remind yourself of how achievable your dream is and refer to your journal to see how far you have travelled along your career development path. You may also use this phase to make connections with others aspiring toward the same field and those who are already in the field. Stay up to date, gain extra knowledge and experience whenever you can. 4. Follow through with your plans. After you have decided on a certain career path and have started the journey, follow through to the end. Set short term goals at attainable levels but make sure that they add up to the greater long-term goals. 5. There, you are well on the path to a successful career and a happy life! I understand that one may have various desired career paths; this is quite fine as long as you set a timeline and work toward each of them. Go for it!